The UN Security Council has passed a resolution calling for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza.
The US has said it is “perplexed” by Israel’s anger after Tel Aviv cancelled a planned trip by officials to Washington after a UN vote.The bombshell move was made possible because the United States, Israel’s ally, abstained. The US had previously vetoed the measure.
The resolution calls for the truce to lead to a “lasting, sustainable ceasefire” and demands that Hamas and other militants free hostages seized on October 7. The successful resolution was drafted in part by Algeria, the Arab bloc’s current member on the Security Council, with a diverse array of countries including Slovenia and Switzerland.
“We’re kind of perplexed” by the move, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told journalists, saying it “seems like the prime minister’s office is choosing to create a perception of daylight here when they don’t need to.” The United States had repeatedly blocked ceasefire resolutions as it attempts to walk a line between supporting Israel with military aid and voicing frustration with leader Benjamin Netanyahu as the civilian death toll in the Gaza Strip mounts.